Electronic engine control apparatus having improved configuration for ensuring excellent engine startability

a control apparatus and electronic technology, applied in the direction of electric control, machines/engines, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of delay in engine start, difficulty in immediately starting the engine, delay in initiating engine control, etc., and achieve excellent engine startability

Active Publication Date: 2012-03-13
DENSO CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an electronic control apparatus for controlling an engine of a motor vehicle, which can on-board rewrite engine control software therein, initialize retention data only when necessary, and ensure excellent startability of the engine.
[0018]With the above configuration, it is possible for the electronic control apparatus to on-board rewrite the engine control software in the first storage means, initialize the retention data in the second storage means only when necessary, and ensure excellent startability of the engine.
[0029]With the above configuration, it is possible for the electronic control apparatus to on-board rewrite the engine control software in the first storage means, initialize each of the retention data blocks in the second storage means only when necessary, and ensure excellent startability of the engine.

Problems solved by technology

With the above configuration, however, since the execution of the control program starts only after the processes of check code comparison, learning value initialization, and check code update, there will be a delay in initiating control of the engine, making it difficult to immediately start the engine.
However, for the above reason, engine control operations including fuel injection will be started only after a certain time period from the turning on of the starter switch, resulting in a delay in starting the engine.
This delay will provide an uncomfortable feeling to the driver of the vehicle.
In particular, in the case of the learning value storage means being made up of an EEPROM, the time required to initialize the learning values in the EEPROM will be long, thus making the delay remarkable.

Method used

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  • Electronic engine control apparatus having improved configuration for ensuring excellent engine startability
  • Electronic engine control apparatus having improved configuration for ensuring excellent engine startability
  • Electronic engine control apparatus having improved configuration for ensuring excellent engine startability

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0058]FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention. The ECU 1 is for controlling an engine of a motor vehicle.

[0059]As shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 1 is connected with other ECUs 2 and 3 via a communication line 11, so that it can share various information with the ECUs 2 and 3 and utilizes the information to control the engine. For example, the ECU 2 is for controlling transmission of the vehicle, and the ECU 3 is for controlling devices belonging to the body system of the vehicle, such as a power window and a door lock.

[0060]The ECU 1 includes a CPU 21, which governs operation of the ECU 1 and executes engine control software for controlling the engine, a flash memory 22 in which the engine control software is stored, a non-rewritable ROM 23, a power-backed up RAM 24 (abbreviated to P.B. RAM in FIG. 1) which is backed up in power and thus always supplied with power, and an EEPROM 25.

[0061]The flash memo...

second embodiment

[0099]This embodiment illustrates an ECU 1A which is identical in hardware to the ECU 1 according to the previous embodiment. Accordingly, only the differences in software therebetween will be described hereinafter.

[0100]In the ECU 1A, the CPU 21 performs the rewrite control process illustrated in FIG. 2 with step S130 being deleted. Consequently, there is no version information sent from the program rewrite tool 15 to the ECU 1A.

[0101]Further, in the ECU 1A, the CPU 21 performs, instead of the initialization control process illustrated in FIG. 3B, an initialization control process illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0102]First, at step S310 of FIG. 5, the CPU 21 retrieves from the flash memory 22 data that is included in a specific area of the engine control software, and determines a specific value to the engine control software by performing a predetermined computation on the retrieved data. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the CPU 21 determines the checksum on the retrieved data...

third embodiment

[0119]This embodiment illustrates an ECU 1B which has almost the same configuration as the ECU 1 according to the first embodiment. Accordingly, only the differences therebetween will be described hereinafter.

[0120]In the ECU 1B, the EEPROM 25 includes N (i.e., a plurality of) specific information storage areas. For the sake of simplifying explanation, it is assumed hereinafter that N=2.

[0121]Further, in the ECU 1B, the CPU 21 performs, instead of the initialization control process illustrated in FIG. 3B, an initialization control process illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0122]First, at step S410 of FIG. 6, the CPU 21 retrieves, from the flash memory 22, the version information (abbreviated to V.I. in FIG. 6) on the engine control software which is currently stored in the flash memory 22.

[0123]At step S420, the CPU 21 further retrieves, from each of the two specific information storage areas of the EEPROM 25, the version information on the engine control software through execution of which the...

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PUM

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Abstract

An electronic engine control apparatus includes a first storage unit, a second storage unit, a third storage unit, and a processor. The processor performs, when the control apparatus is activated, an initialization control process which includes processes of; extracting from the first storage unit specific information on engine control software stored in the first storage unit; determining whether the specific information extracted is coincident with specific information stored in the third storage unit; initializing retention data stored in the second storage unit when the specific information extracted from the first storage unit is determined as being incoincident with that stored in the third storage unit; and updating the specific information stored in the third storage unit with that extracted from the first storage unit after completion of the initializing process. Further, the processor starts performing the process of executing the engine control software before completion of the initialization control process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-6318, filed on Jan. 15, 2007, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Technical Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates generally to electronic control apparatus which can on-board rewrite software therein. More particularly, the invention relates to an electronic engine control apparatus for controlling an engine of a motor vehicle, which can on-board rewrite engine control software therein and have an improved configuration for ensuring excellent startability of the engine.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]A conventional electronic control apparatus for controlling an engine of a motor vehicle includes a first storage means that is made up of an electrically rewritable and nonvolatile memory, such as a flash memory or an EEPROM (E...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G06F19/00F02D45/00G06F9/445G06F11/00
CPCG06F8/665G06F11/1433G06F8/654
Inventor NODA, YOSHIHIRO
Owner DENSO CORP
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